Twenty retail brands have taken new stores in Leeds so far this year, with a distinct bias towards ‘aspirational’ brands, according to analysis by Savills. Retailers including Zara Home, Samsung, Oliver Bonas and Snow & Rock have all taken new units in the city in 2016, taking the total number
Millions of buyers in the UK would pay more than they intended for the right home with 62% willing to go over their budget by 10%. Overall 43 million, 78%, would pay more and 62% would spend up to 10% more for their ideal property with those in London, Scotland
Grant UK installer evenings prove a success Published: 13 June, 2016 Throughout May and early June, Grant UK held a series of events in England, Scotland and Wales where installers were invited to learn more about Grant’s latest products. Engineers and merchants from up and down the country attended the
The Considerate Constructor Scheme (CCS) surveyed more than 600 workers from sites in the UK and Ireland at the end of last year and the findings show that 84% of respondents believed air pollution created by the industry was an issue, while nearly two-thirds (64%) said the sector needed to
Let’s start with an easy to answer question. If you had the choice to fly in an aeroplane with a fully trained pilot or an inexperienced novice, which would you choose? No prizes for guessing the correct answer! This sentence highlights how important dedicated training has become, especially in a
We have to build more homes. That’s what we are being told on all sides. The refrain is that we face a housing crisis in which homes are becoming increasingly unaffordable and the only solution is to increase supply by building more. Well, the three sided relationship between housing supply
SELECT, the campaigning body for the electrotechnical trade in Scotland, is set to launch two new training courses in the next few months. The first is an SQA-customised award in electrical safety as part of its commitment to keeping its members at the cutting edge of safety improvement. The
The 2018 Building Communities Awards, an event hosted by the procurement consortium Efficiency East Midlands, has granted the Project of the Year award to Sustainable Building Services (UK) Limited. The awards took place on Friday, the 16th of February at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham. The event was
Ketley Brick has managed yet another accolade at the prestigious 2017 Brick Development Association (BDA) ‘Brick Awards’ for its flagship project Victoria Gate, Leeds. The annual BDA Brick Awards is the longest established and most widely respected building awards in the UK that recognises excellence in design and construction using
AlcoDigital, the alcohol safety and training specialist, has launched AlcoSaber, a new instant results easy-read breathalyser to the business market. The company works with dozens of companies across the UK addressing their alcohol and drug testing procedures and policies. The AlcoSaber is priced at £295 + VAT each and is
Twenty retail brands have taken new stores in Leeds so far this year, with a distinct bias towards ‘aspirational’ brands, according to analysis by Savills. Retailers including Zara Home, Samsung, Oliver Bonas and Snow & Rock have all taken new units in the city in 2016, taking the total number of new brands which have arrived in Leeds since 2013 to 118. There are now approximately 1,200 independent and chain shops in the city centre, 780 of which are by brands which have at least one store elsewhere, according to Savills. Steve Henderson, director in Savills retail team, comments: “Such is the attraction of Leeds for retailers that it is now one of the most important retail destinations in the country. The trend will continue with the opening of Victoria Gate next month, which is set to be anchored by John Lewis and will bring a further upmarket retailers such as Calvin Klein, Anthropology and Cos to the city”. Tom Whittington, director in Savills commercial research team, adds: “The trend for retailers heading to Leeds has accelerated in the past three years, with 15 per cent of all the retail brands present in the city arriving in this time. We expect this only to continue as new schemes open”. Source link
Millions of buyers in the UK would pay more than they intended for the right home with 62% willing to go over their budget by 10%. Overall 43 million, 78%, would pay more and 62% would spend up to 10% more for their ideal property with those in London, Scotland and Northern Ireland most willing to do so. The 31 million willing to go over budget by up to 10% would find themselves paying some £28,000 more for a home or £912 more per year if renting, according to the research from Ocean Finance. Only one in four would not go over budget at all and 2% of people would be willing to go more than 20% over budget, adding a minimum of £56,000 onto the original purchase budget or £156 per month, £1,872 annually, onto rental payments. A breakdown of the figures show that 34% are willing to go up to 5% over budget, 28% 6% to 10%, some 7% would go 11% to 15% over their initial budget, 4% 16% to 20% and 1% 21% to 25% over. In Scotland and Northern Ireland some 79% are willing to pay more for their ideal home while 77% in London are also willing to do so. The research also shows that it is buyers under the age of 34 who are most willing to stretch their finances with 80% of young people saying they would increase their budget for the right home. ‘Whether we are renting or buying a property most of us have a budget that we can afford in mind. But three quarters of us are happy to ignore the budget and stretch our finances to get the home that ticks all our boxes,’ said Ian Williams, Ocean Finance spokesperson. Source link
Grant UK installer evenings prove a success Published: 13 June, 2016 Throughout May and early June, Grant UK held a series of events in England, Scotland and Wales where installers were invited to learn more about Grant’s latest products. Engineers and merchants from up and down the country attended the installer evenings and feedback received on the night and afterwards indicates that the events were popular and useful. The installer evenings attracted around 700 attendees, who got to see Grant’s latest technologies and chat with their local sales managers. At each event, a number of products were on display, including the Grant VortexBlue oil-fired boiler, the Aerona³ inverter driven air source heat pump, and Grant VortexAir oil boiler/ASHP hybrid. “The aim of these installer evenings was to bring Grant’s products to the engineers,” said Anna Wakefield, marketing and corporate communications manager for Grant UK. “By having all of the new ranges together in one place, installers were able to learn more about the technologies as well as meeting up with local merchants and fellow installers.” Source link
The Considerate Constructor Scheme (CCS) surveyed more than 600 workers from sites in the UK and Ireland at the end of last year and the findings show that 84% of respondents believed air pollution created by the industry was an issue, while nearly two-thirds (64%) said the sector needed to do more to address it. Construction sites are full of dust and exhaust fumes from heavy machinery, both contributing to air pollution, which can later cause health problems such as asthma, bronchitis, cancer, and respiratory illnesses among workers and the general public. In addition, it is estimated that it costs the economy more than £20 billion a year. “While some of the survey results were encouraging, there are clearly areas for improvement and the need for the industry to work together to help reduce air pollution,” commented CCS on the findings. To tackle this problem further, the organisation has launched a new campaign called “Spotlight on… air pollution”, which features an online hub with information on how to minimise air pollution on construction sites written primarily for contractors. For example, on how to handle dust control better, the hub lists a few steps that site management can take to minimise dust levels including: reducing idling, wheel washing and the use of dust suppression and extraction systems; using chutes, conveyors, and covered skips; minimising cutting, grinding, and sawing; and restrictions on burning. “As construction is a significant contributor to air pollution, it is essential for the industry to put measures in place to clean up our air by working together to reduce our impact on air quality,” said CCS chief executive Edward Hardy. “[Our campaign] provides everyone within the industry access to a practical suite of resources, including best practice, guidance and case studies from Scheme-registered construction sites, companies and suppliers on how to tackle this issue, as well as guidance from organisations including the Institute of Air Quality Management, Health Air Campaign and the Greater London Authority. The two main forms of air pollutants are nitrogen dioxide (NO2) from diesel engines, and particulate matter comprising small airborne solid and liquid particles. Construction workers are particularly vulnerable to NO2 because they work in the proximity of polluting vehicles, so it is vital that the construction industry starts improving air quality on its sites.
Let’s start with an easy to answer question. If you had the choice to fly in an aeroplane with a fully trained pilot or an inexperienced novice, which would you choose? No prizes for guessing the correct answer! This sentence highlights how important dedicated training has become, especially in a customer centred environment. Over the past three years, Genquip/Groundhog, one of the market leaders in the manufacture of mobile and static site welfare units, have developed a series of training courses for all of their clients. Currently there are two distinctive courses available. One course is designed for site or yard operatives and covers a range of subjects. These include; routine maintenance, safety awareness and the correct operation of a Groundhog welfare unit. The other course is aimed for hire desk controllers. This module offers a deep insight into product awareness with an effective reference sheet, helping to ensure that their clients always receive a high standard of service. Each course lasts for one day and is usually hosted at the Groundhog manufacturing plant near Swansea, adjacent to the M4 motorway. If it is deemed appropriate, a Genquip instructor can visit a hire depot and guide the rental staff through an individually designed training element for hire desk controllers. Both courses are part theory and part practical. Attendees are fully involved and encouraged to offer up suggestions or proposals on how the Groundhog units can be improved or enhanced. To ensure that Genquips’ site training is formally recognised, the course has been CPD accredited. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is the intentional maintenance and development of the knowledge and skills needed to perform in a professional context. CPD ensures that the professional standard of their qualifications and registrations is maintained. Peter Beach, Genquips’ Business Development Manager explains, “In 2016 we trained around 70 individuals, in 2017 this grew to 84, however in just a few short weeks into 2018, we have already successfully instructed over 120 people.” “Our principal aims are to ensure that all rental operatives, both in the hire office and out on site, have a rigorous knowledge in all aspects of providing clean, safe and appropriate welfare facilities for their customers. Our training also helps to ensure that the units are fit for purpose, whilst increasing the longevity the product,” continued Peter. Genquips’ marketing teams are fully proactive in promoting their training programme and all owners of Groundhog units are encouraged to contact Peter to arrange their courses, telephone 01639 823484 or emailing sales@genquip.co.uk. For over 30 years, the Groundhog/Genquip partnership has developed a complete range of welfare units. Continuous product development is ongoing and bespoke models can be produced for specific requirements. They are a leading supplier to the UK rental industry, offering nationwide support and a dedicated spare parts department. For further information please contact: Peter Beach Genquip/Groundhog Aberafan Road, Baglan Industrial Park, Port Talbot SA12 7DJ Tel: 01639 823484 EMAIL: sales@genquip.co.uk
We have to build more homes. That’s what we are being told on all sides. The refrain is that we face a housing crisis in which homes are becoming increasingly unaffordable and the only solution is to increase supply by building more. Well, the three sided relationship between housing supply and demand and price is a complicated one. What I want to discuss here is what would happen if we didn’t build more houses. What would the implications be if we became housing crisis deniers and took no steps to increase supply? What would its effects be on our economy and our society? What if we had no property investors or developers who wanted to make a genuine impact? For a start, although I’ve argued in the past that the relation between supply and price is complex and should be addressed on a regional basis rather than nationally, there’s no doubt that a complete failure to build, or at least to do more than replace housing stock, would turbo-charge price rises. In its recent report, Savils forecasts a UK average compound growth in house prices of just over 14% over the next five years. Clearly that has to depend on a number of factors, such as the state of the economy, levels of immigration and the effects of Brexit. When looking at Savil’s forecast we should also bear in mind that the number of new homes registered to be built in the UK in 2015 topped 156,000, which represented an eight-year high and a 7% year-on-year increase in NHBC new home registrations. This also marked 75% more new homes registered in 2015 than in 2009. If this kind of building level drives a 14% five-year price hike, then it’s safe to conclude that a choking off of this supply would result in a much greater rate of price acceleration. One direct result of this would be that people would be worse off. Higher house prices mean higher mortgage repayments. They also demand higher deposits from purchasers, which drives more people into the rented sector, in turn driving up rents. In 2013-14, tenants in rented accommodation paid an average of 47% of their net income in rent and once housing benefit was stripped out of income, average rents were more than half of average gross pay. Not surprisingly, in London the situation was even more acute. There rents were equal to 60% of tenants’ gross earnings with housing benefit, or 72% without it. Those paying mortgages weren’t committing so much of their income to accommodation, but repayments still equalled an average of 23% of their earnings after tax. If rising property prices lead to people having to pay even more for accommodation then they will see a corresponding reduction in their disposable incomes. This would have a serious knock-on effect for the whole economy. Even when exports are sluggish and productivity stagnant, the British shopper has kept our economic show on the road. Retail sales, at around £360bn a year, account for about 6% of the UK economy. That’s not something the country can afford to endanger, particularly in the run-up to Brexit. Of course, in the event of a struggling economy and soaring house prices, not everyone would be affected equally. Those who don’t own property would see their disposable incomes squeezed and living standards falling, with an ever receding prospect of home ownership. They would only be able to watch enviously as homeowners disappeared beyond their own horizons, sailing off to enjoy and to pass onto their children the fruits of a hugely inflated asset. Such inequality wouldn’t only be undesirable but would also probably not be sustainable. There would be social unrest and unstoppable political pressure to intervene in the market and to redistribute some of that capital wealth. Maybe this is unduly alarmist. It’s often said that we British get too hung-up over house prices and home ownership and that this is something that marks us off from our continental neighbours who are far more relaxed about renting. In fact, this is a myth. If you live in the UK, you are less likely to be a homeowner and more likely to rent than the average European. Nearly 71% of people in the 27 EU countries live in owner-occupied dwellings. The UK average was just below 68%, in 2011. In Europe, it ranges from 53.4%c in Germany to up to 96.6% in Romania. Surprisingly, the only significant European country where less than half the population are owner-occupiers is Switzerland. So, there is no particular British obsession with home ownership and, even if there was, it wouldn’t change the fact that rising property prices also mean rising rents. After food and drink, shelter is a fundamental human need and lack of reasonably easy access to it is likely to cause all kinds of social problems. We can see this at work in higher prices leading to a lower rate of household formation. In simple terms, this means more groups of young people or recent immigrants are sharing and young people who can’t afford to leave home as early as they might want to have to live with their parents for longer. The 2011 census was the first in a century in which the average size of households hadn’t fallen and there had been an increase in the proportion of households with more than two adults. This matters – not just for the sanity of parents – but because young people who stay at home are likely to delay starting a family. Although birth rates in Britain rose in the first decade of the new century they have since fallen back to the sorts of levels seen in the early 1990s. Just over 695,200 babies were born in England and Wales in 2014 – 21% below the peak of the 1960s baby boom. At the same time the population is becoming older, with the number of people over 75 rising by 89% in a generation and in
SELECT, the campaigning body for the electrotechnical trade in Scotland, is set to launch two new training courses in the next few months. The first is an SQA-customised award in electrical safety as part of its commitment to keeping its members at the cutting edge of safety improvement. The course, which will last for two and a half days, and result in an SCQF level 7 qualification, is aimed at both electricians and safety technicians, including H&S operatives. It will cover changes in legislation, environmental issues such as the safe disposal of electrical waste and safe isolation of circuits. Dave Forrester, Head of Technical Services for SELECT, said: “The training course material has been prepared and we are currently running pilot courses to ensure that the course content meets our member’s needs. We plan to have the course open to all applicants by Easter. “As well as the new course on electrical safety, we are also currently testing a course on the safe installation of electric vehicle charging points at residential and business premises. The course will also feature routes to public funding available for installations.” Mr. Forrester said: “We have looked into providing this training as a response to the rising demand for charging points. The actual installation work is covered within the scope of BS 7671 The Wiring Regulations and as a result, is well within the abilities of any qualified electrician. “However, the training focuses on the maintenance of charging points, identifying how to access funding and how to get the best value for money for customers.” The Electrical Vehicle Charging point installation course is likely to be available by early summer, and talks are ongoing with Edinburgh College and other providers. SELECT, Scotland’s largest trade association, has 1250 member companies who account for around 90% of all electrical installation work carried out in Scotland. They have a collective turnover of around £1 billion and provide employment for 15,000 people. For further information, please contact: Alan Wilson, Head of Membership and Communications SELECT, the Electrical Contractors’ Association of Scotland, The Walled Garden, Bush Estate, Midlothian, EH26 0SB. T: 0131 445 5577 E: admin@select.org.uk W: www.select.org.uk Twitter: http://twitter.com/updates_select https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWJVjt14CvIig8bIKwidVughttp://
The 2018 Building Communities Awards, an event hosted by the procurement consortium Efficiency East Midlands, has granted the Project of the Year award to Sustainable Building Services (UK) Limited. The awards took place on Friday, the 16th of February at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham. The event was attended by over 350 representatives of the social housing and construction sectors and the reason why Sustainable Building Services (SBS) was nominated was its work for Chesterfield Borough Council, consisting of four consecutive phases of work under the Solid Wall Insulation Framework. The initial £3.2 million phase of the project started back in 2015 with the fitting of external wall insulation to houses and low-rise blocks in three districts. Other works included the installation of loft insulation, asbestos removal, the renewal of rainwater goods, the replacement of windows, and the installation of new fibreglass canopies to some homes. The first phase was completed in October 2015 on all 509 properties, which was five months ahead of the initial schedule. Seeing the performance, Chesterfield BC directly commissioned SBS to carry out three further phases under the same framework. The last phase is due to completion in April 2018 and it involved the treatment of over 500 properties in two work streams, comprising a mix of ‘hard to treat’ properties, including part-cavity and solid wall. The four phase scheme will have treated 1,184 properties and all works have progressed either on or ahead of schedule and have received excellent customer satisfaction scores. SBS has scored 100% for predictability of time by property, for predictability of spend against budget, and for the proportion of properties accepted at handover. Additionally, all phases have been delivered with zero reportable H&S incidents. “We’re very proud to have been named winners of the 2018 Project of the Year. It’s an important achievement and it builds on a long and productive relationship with Efficiency East Midlands. Through its various frameworks, we’ve worked as main contractor on a wide range of schemes, helping to improve living conditions for literally thousands of families across Britain,” said Gary Lawson, the Group Commercial Director at SBS. At last year’s Building Communities Awards, SBS won the Contractor of the Year award and the Innovation award.
Ketley Brick has managed yet another accolade at the prestigious 2017 Brick Development Association (BDA) ‘Brick Awards’ for its flagship project Victoria Gate, Leeds. The annual BDA Brick Awards is the longest established and most widely respected building awards in the UK that recognises excellence in design and construction using brick. The Victoria Gate project won two prizes, one for the ‘Best Commercial Building’ and one for the ‘Innovative Use of Brick & Clay Products’, while also being mentioned in the ‘Urban Regeneration Project’ category. It was described by the judges as “intriguing and exciting” due to its impressive scale and complexity. The project was designed by ACME, and it is part of Hammerson’s Victoria Leeds Estate in the city centre, developed and inspired by its local historic and architectural context. It contains decorative brickwork on three of its external elevations, which were constructed using the latest advances in digital technology and BIM. Ketley Brick supplied approximately 360,000 Staffordshire light and dark ‘Class A’ ‘snap headers,’ which were used across 550 precast reinforced concrete panels to create the striking pleated pattern, with 3D software used to plot and place every individual brick. The company’s ‘Class A’ bricks, known for their high strength, low water absorption and exceptional frost resistance, were then chosen to ideally suit the geometrical design. “Victoria Leeds is a great example of a contemporary concept made possible by the combination of modern and traditional brickwork techniques. The sourcing of the right brick was key to creating textured facades with intricate detailing, complementing the Victorian Leeds vernacular,” said Friedrich Ludewig from ACME. Other awards received by the Victorian Gate project include the IBA National Award 2017, RIBA Yorkshire Award 2017 and RIBA Yorkshire Building of the Year, plus the Best Retail Project Worldwide in the 2017 WAF World Architecture Festival in Berlin and the Best New Shopping Centre at the MAPIC international property conference.
AlcoDigital, the alcohol safety and training specialist, has launched AlcoSaber, a new instant results easy-read breathalyser to the business market. The company works with dozens of companies across the UK addressing their alcohol and drug testing procedures and policies. The AlcoSaber is priced at £295 + VAT each and is an easy to use, innovative breathalyser. It is the newest design concept in alcohol testing and it is perfect for the companies that are looking to carry out quick and simple screening that delivers instant results. Due to the absence of a mouthpiece, the device can be used for testing individuals in quick succession and it provides a low maintenance and cost effective solution. Although it is ideal for rapid response testing of potential patrons at pubs and clubs, it can also be used by other businesses to check employees as they arrive at work. All the employee has to do is blow into the air hole on top and a LED light will clearly display a red for positive or green for negative in seconds. Additionally, the AlcoSaber is the only breathalyser of this type to feature a digital display reading indicating the level of alcohol detected. The first scheme of this type was launched in 2014 aiming to reduce binge-drinking and tackle violence at night-time venues. As a result, some areas recorded a reduction of up to 32% in violent crimes. “Safety is a huge concern for all businesses. The success of the on-the-door breathalyser trials carried out at pubs and clubs across the UK demonstrate the difference a change in policy can make to the wellbeing of not just staff and customers, but whole communities,” said Suzannah Robin, alcohol and drug safety expert at AlcoDigital for over 14 years. “The new AlcoSaber is the ideal device for instant, accurate screening that provides clear, easy-to-read results.” The AlcoSaber is available to purchase directly from AlcoDigital online at www.alcodigital.co.uk or call 020 8454 7372.
